Since its publication in 1789, Gilbert White’s Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne has never been out of print. Throughout the intervening 233 years, White’s text has inspired the many and varied artists who have illustrated different editions of his classic account of his observations of the wildlife of his home in Selborne, Hampshire.
Simon Martin, director of Pallant House Gallery in Chichester has brought together many of these illustrators in this gorgeously produced and illustrated book. From Samuel Hieronymous Grimm, whose detailed engravings adorned the first edition, to Thomas Bewick, whose famous bird engravings were used without permission in a later one, to twentieth century artists such as Claire Leighton, Agnes Miller Parker, Eric Ravilious, John Nash and John Piper, right through to talented contemporary artists such as Mark Hearld, Alice Patullo and Emily Sutton.
A spellbinding historical novel set near Strasbourg in the 16th Century – inspired by the real events of the so-called ‘Dancing Plague’. In the midst of a blisteringly hot, pestilent summer, pregnant Lisbet tends the bees on her husband’s farm, until the peace is disturbed by the return of Agnethe, her sister-in-law, from seven years’ penance in a nunnery for a crime no one will name. Lisbet is moved by the stoic young woman and becomes determined to discover her secret. Meanwhile, both women are intrigued by rumours of a frenzy of women dancing for days in Strasbourg’s market square, and against a backdrop of mounting religious hysteria and superstition, passions are ignited and dangerous deceptions are uncovered. Simply perfect writing; raw, immersive and compelling, this story will haunt you for days. Review by Gudrun.
A gripping, gritty and absorbing crime novel set in Brighton. Graham Bartlett spent 30 years in the police, as a detective, firearms commander, and city police chief in Brighton & Hove, and now works as a crime-consultant for writers including Peter James, Elly Griffiths and Dorothy Koomson. Bad for Good is his first crime fiction novel, following 2 best-selling ‘true crime’ books.
Detective Superintendent Joanne Howe has a complex and sensitive case on her hands: the murder of a promising young footballer, who just happens to be the son of her colleague, D.I Phil Cooke. Against the backdrop of a city wrought by violence and crime, and a police force hamstrung by government cuts, Joanne must contend with blackmail, a disturbingly brutal gang of vigilantes, and deep-rooted police corruption as she tracks down Harry’s killer. As you might expect, the plotting, characters and local details are grainy and authentic – and Graham isn’t shy about packing a political punch amongst the intrigue.
For fans of Peter James!Graham Bartlett will be talking about BAD FOR GOOD with fellow crime-writer Lesley Thomson at the Steyning Centre on Friday 24th June. Tix from the Steyning Bookshop.
Join fabulous author / illustrator SOPHY HENN for some fact-filled, fascinating LIFESIZE fun in the bookshop garden! Sophy’s LIFESIZE books are ingenious, interactive non-fiction picture books which invite children to see how they measure up against some of the world’s biggest and smallest creatures. Discover a wealth of fascinating facts, from how fast a hummingbird can flap its’ wings, to just HOW giant is a giant squid, at this fun, interactive event, which will finish with a spot of animal DRAW-ALONG, in classic Sophy style!
This event is for children aged 4-10, accompanying adults do not need a ticket but are welcome to hang around and watch! Your ticket price of £5 will knock a fiver off any LIFESIZE book purchase, and Sophy will be happy to sign all books purchased.
Mehar and her new sisters-in-law are married to three brothers, but as the men come to them in darkness and their days are veiled, they don’t know which sister has which husband. In their small, claustrophobic world, filled with sweeping and pounding and kneading and baking, a mistake and a deception ignite a passion that has far reaching consequences. 60 years later, Mehar’s great grandson, escaping demons of his own, seeks sanctuary on the family’s old farm. Spare and atmospheric, a haunting tale of forbidden love.
Ask a child to name their senses, and they will probably come up with the same five as you. Smell, taste, sight, hearing, and touch were first described as the five senses by Aristotle over two thousand years ago. However, with the advent of modern neuroscience, these senses have been joined by the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth senses, and many more. Jackie Higgins takes us on a fascinating journey around the ways in which we perceive the world, using the extraordinary perceptive powers of animals as our guide. From the incredible colour vision of the mantis shrimp to the extraordinarily sensitive nose of the star-nosed mole, and the ability of the barn owl to locate prey in darkness, and the cheetah’s sense of balance, to a spider’s body clock, these incredible animal studies illuminate our own sentience.
A fascinating evening with two Sussex crime writers: Graham Bartlett and Lesley Thomson.
Graham Bartlett will introduce his new novel Bad for Good – a gripping, gritty and authentic thriller set in Brighton. Graham Bartlett was a Sussex policeman for over 30 years, rising to become Chief Superintendent and police commander of Brighton & Hove, and now works as a crime consultant, advising writers such as Peter James, Mark Billingham, Elly Griffiths, as well as running courses and seminars. He is the author of 2 best-selling ‘True Crime’ books; Babes in the Wood, and Death Comes Knocking.
Lesley Thomson will introduce her new novel The Companion, a gothic thriller set in the heart of Sussex, with echoes of Agatha Christie and Barbara Vine. Lesley is a seasoned, award-winning crime writer, the author of the Detective’s Daughter series, which feature a feisty, methodical cleaner as their heroine, as well as many standalone novels. Lesley teaches creative writing at West Dean College and runs her own crime writing course. Lesley and Graham will be in conversation with Gudrun from the Steyning Bookshop, who’ll be teasing out all their most grisly research stories! A glass of wine / soft drink will be served on arrival.
Welcome to the World is Julia Donaldson’s beautiful new book – a magical, lyrical celebration of babies’ first experiences, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. To celebrate the book’s publication, Julia will sign copies of Welcome to the World, plus her latest paperback Counting Creatures, andall her other books purchased on the day or pre-ordered, at The Steyning Bookshop on Saturday 7th May from 10.30am.
To attend this signing you MUST book a place. Each booking admits 1 family (of up to 5 people). There are 2 family ticket prices: the £12.99 price includes 1 copy of Welcome to the World in hardback, the £10.99 price includes 1 copy of Counting Creatures in paperback. Additional copies of these and Julia’s other books may be purchased from us on the day. Julia will sign all books purchased at our shop, but we are afraid that customers may not bring their own copies from home to be signed.
There are 3 signing sessions: 10.30am, 11.15am and 12 midday. Each session lasts 40 minutes and 20 families will meet Julia during this time, so there will be time to have a little chat!
Have you ever wondered what it takes to run an ultramarathon? Find out more at this sociable evening at Steyning Athletic Club with writer and runner Matt Whyman, whose new book ‘Failure is an Option’ is the story of an average runner who sets out to discover just how far he can go. With the support (and misgivings) of his family, and aware that his quickest years are behind him, Matt Whyman leaves the Saturday morning 5K to push towards 100-mile ultramarathons and beyond. By slowing things down to run a very long way, he joins a growing number of men and women from all walks of life striving to do something extraordinary. Warm, witty, entertaining and at times, deeply moving, Matt’s story will have you rooting for him, as he travels far beyond his comfort zone and sets his sights on a six-day mountain ultra that even hardened veterans consider to be the most formidable on earth: the Dragon’s Back Race. Copies of ‘Failure is an Option’ will be on sale for the ticket-holders bonus price of £10 (RRP £12.99). EVENING FORMAT: Doors open 7.30pm, refreshments (wine/ soft drinks & nibbles) will be served, interview with Matt from 7.45pm followed by Q & A, then book signing. Tickets: Steyning Athletic Club members £3 / general admission £5
It’s AGES since we’ve had a kids holiday activity, because of you-know-what! So, we are excited to announce that we’ll be celebrating all things SPRING with stories, games and a craft activity for children aged 4-7, on Wednesday 20th April at 11am.
Space is limited so 15 children is the max!
There will be an indoor and outdoor element, if the weather is fine, so dress accordingly. Free refreshments for hens & chicks! £3 per child, gives discount against book purchase.
Come and meet Julia Donaldson at the Steyning Bookshop on Saturday 5th March, from 2pm onwards, to celebrate the release of her 2 wonderful new books A Pocketful of Songs and Mole’s Spectacles. For COVID safety, this event will be organised in timed slots, each 40 minutes long, admitting 20 families per 40 minutes. Your ticket booking entitles entry to the signing for 1 family group of up to 5 people, and includes a copy of either Pocketful of Songs (£14.99 ticket) Mole’s Spectacles (£6.99 ticket) , or both books (£21.98 ticket)
Additional Julia D books for signing can be purchased at the bookshop on the day – we will have a huge selection of ALL Julia’s books on display for customers to browse, buy and get signed, but if there is a particular book that you really want, you can add it to your ticket order by phoning the shop on 01903 812062 or shopping via our website here, selecting LOCAL PICKUP as your delivery option, and adding in the ORDER NOTES that you’ll be collecting it at the signing.
We are sorry, but we cannot allow customers to bring books from home for signing by Julia.
There will be activities for children while they wait to meet Julia!
Pocketful of Songs is the latest collection of Julia’s songs, including family favourites from Stick Man and Superworm to Tiddler and The Highway Rat, collected in a beautiful hardback gift edition, richly illustrated by Axel Scheffler and accompanied by a CD featuring Julia Donaldson herself performing the songs, which will have the whole family singing and clapping along. The book also includes music scores for piano and guitar.
Mole’s Spectacles is the 7th book in Julia and Axel’s beloved Acorn Wood series, perfect for pre-schoolers, produced in sturdy board book format with fun flaps to lift on every page…. Mole has lost his spectacles. He searches all around his house, in the garden and even in Weasel’s sweetshop, but he can’t find them anywhere! Where could they be? Lift the flaps to help him find them!
We are delighted that our favourite thriller writer, Elly Griffiths, will join us live on Zoom, to discuss The Locked Room – the 14th novel in her bestselling ‘Ruth Galloway’ series. Proceedings will be ably managed by fellow crime writer, William Shaw.
Wednesday 9th February, 7.30pm, Online via Zoom.
Tickets are £5, and ticket-holders are entitled to £5 off a SIGNED copy of The Locked Room – please pop in or call the bookshop to arrange your signed (and name-dedicated, if you wish!) copy. Ticket holders will receive an email with the Zoom link after booking. Click HERE to book! Or the button below!
The Locked Room sees Ruth and her daughter return to their Norfolk cottage, only for COVID to strike. While Ruth struggles with home schooling, she and her daughter strike up a friendship with the new next door neighbour, Zoe. Meanwhile, Nelson is investigating a series of mysterious deaths, women who may, or may not have died by suicide. An archaeological discovery unearthed during the investigation leads Nelson to Ruth’s door – breaking curfew – where Nelson finds Ruth chatting to her neighbour …a woman Nelson recalls from a long ago case….
What better way to mark the start of the Festive Season? Come and meet Julia Donaldson as she celebrates the release of two magical, Christmassy new books …
In 2020, Julia was commissioned to write a poem in honour of the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree, an annual gift to the UK from Norway. Now, this delightful, rhyming poem, which follows the journey of a little pine tree from the deep Norwegian forest to the sparkling bright centre of London, is released as a beautiful hardback book, with gorgeous, atmospheric illustrations by Norwegian artist Victoria Sandøy. The Christmas Pine is a modern Christmas classic!
‘Squirrel’s Snowman‘ is a brand new addition to Julia Donaldson’s well-loved Acorn Wood series, with charming illustrations by Axel Scheffler. In chunky board-book format, with flaps to lift on every page and a darling rhyming story which follows Squirrel and her friends as they try to collect all they need to build a snowman, this is a festive, snowy treat for toddlers!
How does the book-signing work?
The signing is organised in timed slots, from 10am onwards, ending at 1.45pm, to limit queues and crowding.
1 ticket booking admits 1 family group of up to 5 people (1/2 adults and up to 3 children).
Each ticket includes either 1 copy of The Christmas Pine (£12.99) or 1 copy of Squirrel’s Snowman (£6.99)
Additional books can be purchased at the Steyning Bookshop on the day of the signing.
Free refreshments and activities for children are included.
We are sorry, but only these pre-ordered books plus books purchased on the day at the Steyning Bookshop will be signed by Julia.
An exciting chance to meet the man behind the famous name – Alastair Sawday is most famous for his ‘Special Places to Stay’ series of hotel guides, but he has also created a very successful publishing firm, with a popular online presence, and is a passionate environmental activist. Alastair will speak about his travels, his writing & publishing work, his activism & involvement with the Soil Association, and his commitment to an eco-friendly way of life. The evening will include drinks & a finger buffet. The Steyning Bookshop will be on hand selling copies of Alastair’s books.
We are thrilled to announce a very special performance by legendary Punk Poet Attila the Stockbroker, celebrating National Poetry Day on Thursday October 7th. Attila will perform pieces from ‘Heart on his Sleeve‘, his newly published anthology of writings from the last 40 years. If we are lucky, and in keeping with the ancient church venue, Attila may also whip out his crumhorn or pluck his mandocello, for a couple of numbers from his band Barnstormer 1649‘s 2018 album, ‘Restoration Tragedy‘ – where Early Music meets punk! Attila will be ably supported by Steyning wordsmith Simon Zec. Copies of ‘Heart on his Sleeve‘ as well as Attila’s albums and merchandise will be on sale and Attila will be happy to sign & dedicate the books. Tasty local beers by RIVERSIDE BREWERY (& soft drinks) will be on sale, card or cash payments will be accepted.
About Attila the Stockbroker Irrepressible, energetic and impassioned, Son of Southwick Attila the Stockbroker is both a local, and a global, legend! He is a poet, musician, journalist and political activist, who has spent forty years touring the world performing his unique brand of spoken word, poetry and music. Having played almost four thousand gigs in twenty four countries, releasing countless books and records along the way, Attila’s Collected Works has just been published by Cherry Red Books, the book arm of the celebrated independent record label which released his early 80s albums and his 2015 autobiography ‘Arguments Yard.’ A stalwart of the international spoken word circuit, an established Glastonbury regular, much loved at Brighton And Hove Albion Football Club, co-organiser of Glastonwick beer and music festival, Attila The Stockbroker remains as focused and active as ever, and continues to perform to audiences across the world, including a run of successful recent online lockdown shows.
COVID precautions St Andrews Church is a spacious, well-ventilated venue, which we selected especially in order to be COVID-safe. Seating is not numbered or allocated, you may choose where to sit. Please be mindful of others and space yourselves sensibly.
Essential reading for anyone feeling full of despair in these difficult times, Dutch historian Rutger Bregman’s fresh take on human nature is heartening and optimistic.
From Machiavelli to Hobbes, Freud to Dawkins, in religion, fiction, science, psychology and sociology, we have been taught that human beings are by nature selfish and governed by self-interest. In ‘Humankind’, Rutger Bregman makes a revolutionary new argument: People are essentially GOOD, and their actions naturally tend towards kindness and altruism.
Chapter by chapter, going back through 200,000 years of human history, Bregman re-evaluates and re-examines some of the most famously pessimistic events and case-studies; from the real-life Lord of the Flies to the Blitz, a Siberian fox farm to an infamous New York murder, Stanley Milgram’s Yale shock machine to the Stanford prison experiments, he finds persuasive new evidence for humanity’s essential decency. If we begin to believe in fundamental human kindness and altruism, we may be able to achieve true change in society.
An exciting new standalone fantasy adventure from the inventive imagination of Vashti Hardy, author of ‘Brightstorm’ and Wildspark’ and one of our FAVOURITE local authors, who is just going from strength to strength!
Orin Crowfall lives on the island of Ironhold, an orderly island committed to industry, with a strict hierarchical structure, where everyone knows their place. Ironholders pride themselves in their taming and harnessing of nature, reflected in their motto “industry brings prosperity”. Sensitive Orin is employed as a server to the elite Engineers, the rulers of Ironhold, but his first love is nature – he has a talent for nurturing plants, and he has made an incredible discovery – at the very heart of Ironhold is a living, natural being – the Eard – which nourishes and provides for the Island. When Orin uncovers a dark secret about the Engineers relationship with the Eard, both his life and the future of Ironhold are in grave danger, and he must flee for his life!
Orin and his animatronic robot friend Cody escape Ironhold on a small boat, but are pursued by a terrifying sea monster and buffeted by tremendous storms until they find themselves washed up on the shores of an incredible new island world …The island of Natura seems like a paradise, but who can Orin trust, and how will he return to Ironhold and save his family before everything is destroyed?
A really enjoyable story, full of excitement, with plucky, lovable characters, and Vashti Hardy’s characteristic gift for incredible world-building, ‘Crowfall’ is also a powerful environmental fable with a thought-provoking message about ecological balance.
Sarah Moss is a writer of rare accomplishment whose mastery of the messy complexities of the interior monologue is pitch-perfect. ‘Summerwater’ is an intense, beautifully-written, and devastating story, set over a 24-hour period in a faded Scottish cabin park.
As the rain hammers down outside, in short vignettes we are introduced to the inhabitants of the holiday cabins; a woman goes running up the Ben as if fleeing; a teenage boy chances the dark waters of the loch in his kayak; a retired couple head out despite the downpour, driving too fast on the familiar bends…. Nobody has any phone signal, and the world feels very far away, leading to a claustrophobic sense of dread… we know something bad is going to happen, but to whom.. and when?
There are tender moments – Moss is an astute observer of family life and domestic tensions, there is acerbic humour, there are moments of limpid beauty in her observations of nature, and bubbling throughout, the tensions between this group of strangers simmer and then boil over…. No more spoilers – you HAVE TO read it!
When Isobel Petty is orphaned, she finds herself being taken away from her home in India and sent to live with a distant uncle in England. On board the S.S. Marianna, she witnesses a shocking act – somebody being thrown overboard in the middle in the night. But when the ship’s captain insists that nobody is missing, Isobel and her two new reluctant friends must solve two mysteries – the identities of both the murderer and the victim – before they reach England and the culprit has the chance to escape.
Isobel is a brilliantly created unlikeable heroine, victim of a childhood both indulged and ignored, who gradually has her sharp corners knocked off by the two long suffering friends she has met on the voyage, and by the life lessons that she learns along the way. Inspired by The Secret Garden and the golden age of crime writing, The Secret Detectives is perfect for fans of Robin Stevens and Katherine Rundell. For children aged 9 upwards who like historical fiction and a good long read with plenty of mystery and humour.
A real gem! Lissa Evan is a supremely gifted writer – astute, funny and warm – for both children and adults. We loved her comedic novel, ‘Crooked Heart’, which introduced Vee, a suburban con-woman, and ultrabright orphan Noel as they joined forces in the unlikely setting of Hampstead village during the second World War. Following on, ‘Old Baggage’ told the tale of Noel’s Suffragist godmother Mattie, and now we are back with Vee and Noel towards the end of the war when, unsurprisingly, their lives become even more complicated….
It’s late 1944. Hitler’s rockets are slamming down on London with vicious regularity and it’s the coldest winter in living memory. Allied victory is on its way, but it’s bloody well dragging its feet.
In a large house next to Hampstead Heath, Vee Sedge is just about scraping by, with a herd of lodgers to feed, and her young charge Noel ( almost fifteen ) to clothe and educate. When she witnesses a road accident and finds herself in court, the repercussions are both unexpectedly marvellous and potentially disastrous – disastrous because Vee is not actually the person she’s pretending to be, and neither is Noel.
A nail-bitingly thrilling survival drama for readers of 8-12 years by the author of ‘The Boy in the Tower’.
Rule Number 1: Always be Prepared…. Billy’s mum isn’t like the other mums. She’s a scientist, for starters, and takes Billy out of school to train him in the Rules of Survival. But after her obsession goes too far, Billy is sent to Bristol, to live with a dad he barely knows.
Billy settles in well and even makes his first ever friends, but his new, life is rudely interrupted by a strange and terrifying phenomenon … is it a virus? An alien shape-shifting life form? People are turning into strange, scary grey creatures and chaos is breaking out. Billy, his dad, and his new friends have to flee the city. Billy realises that THIS is what his mum was preparing him for. Can Billy reach his mum’s ‘Safe Haven’ in time, and will she even be there? Can he reunite his family … and where are his friends?
Exciting, powerful and emotional; a perfect book for fans of Ross Welford.
One of the best middle-grade fiction novels I have read this year! An exciting science fiction thriller for ages 9+.
In a bleak future world, torn apart by a civil war between humans and advanced A.I robots, some scavenging children come across a cute little robot, locked in a basement. Adam 2 has been locked away for 200 years, and knows nothing of the war between robots and humankind. He has been programmed to faithfully serve humans, and quickly bonds with the children. Soon, by virtue of his human-style loyalty, he is accepted into the human camp.
Adam’s unique position – trusted by the humans, yet essentially an A.I, earns him friends & enemies in both camps, and it becomes clear that he holds the key to the war, and the power to end it – to destroy one side and save the other. But which side is right? Adam must decide who – and what – he really is.
A really thrilling story, full of thought-provoking issues, and Adam 2 is a truly unforgettable and adorable character. Will appeal to fans of Philip Reeve.
It has been a strange old year, beginning with the third lockdown, from January to April, which saw all of our bookshop staff continuing to beaver away, behind closed doors. It is amazing, in hindsight, how busy we remained while the shop was ostensibly ‘shut’ – first and foremost with website orders for signed & name-dedicated Julia Donaldson books – with our heartfelt thanks to Julia Donaldson, who spent every evening (apart from Sundays. We gave her a break on Sundays) inscribing names on books! Then there were phone and email orders from our dear, loyal customers, which were, as ever, a fun challenge, not to mention trying to make World Book Day a thing, while shut – we eventually put the World Book Day books out on our porch for children to help themselves! We are very grateful, too, to the local schools who kept us busy with orders and topic lists – Gudrun enjoyed the challenge of selecting a huge order of books based on their ‘Accelerated Reader’ level!
March saw us experimenting with more ‘Virtual Events’ – a lively discussion on Zoom with local thriller writers Elly Griffiths and William Shaw was well-attended, and then our book group welcomed historical thriller writer Lucy Jago to talk about her powerful and fascinating historical novel ‘A Net for Small Fishes’. Julia Donaldson’s name dedication offer drew to a close in early March, with a crazy flurry of orders from, it seemed, hundreds of physician mums, who had shared our website link in their Facebook group, and then we had just a couple of weeks to try to get the shop looking its best in time for the grand reopening in April!
With typical bad timing, the shop refitting of lighting and carpets – which necessitated removing ALL the books and most of the shelving – coincided with Gudrun’s house move, so we were a woman down for the big refit – Sara, Rob, Gill, Sarah & Alice worked like trojans to get everything back in place for April 12th, the re-opening date. They managed it with their sanity just about intact, and the shop, with sparkling new lighting, smooth new grey carpet, and rearranged shelving, has never looked better!
It was truly wonderful to be open again and get back to face-to-face bookselling! As schools re-opened we had quite a rush of publisher ‘virtual event’ offers for schools, so began to dip our toes into these strange new waters – we figured out a way to offer the virtual event books to parents via our website, and it all worked quite well! We’ve had virtual school events with Vashti Hardy, Jenny Pearson, Sophy Henn, Thiago de Moraes, and A.M Howell during May, June & July.
April saw more virtual events – Steyning Bookshop favourite Claire Fuller joined us on Zoom for a book-group style event, talking about her Women’s Prize-nominated novel ‘Unsettled Ground’, this was a really interesting evening, and Claire was, as ever, a really friendly and thoughtful interviewee. The bookshop staff definitely think there is something to be said for these virtual events – feels like a holiday NOT having to hulk boxes of books, wine & glasses down to our studio venue! And sitting on your own sofa in your PJ’s while interviewing an author is quite a strange sensation!
June drew to an end here in a burst of exciting activity as we celebrated Independent Bookshop Week and had our first live signings for over a year, in the bookshop garden which is looking a bit better than usual this year thanks to ministrations by author and illustrator Emily Gravett’s good gardener chum Sophie – love that we even have a book connection with our gardener! In the preceding week we had the excitement of hosting an online interview by Gudrun with wonderful Esther Freud, and then the first day of Indie Bookshop Week was super exciting too as we took part in a very special multi bookshop online launch of Julia Donaldson’s gorgeous new book The Woolly Bear Caterpillar, with Julia and Malcolm broadcasting from the bookshop. And there were surprise roles for Rob and for me reading the lines of two of the caterpillars! Fame at last! Despite weather warnings, our three garden events that week were fine. Absolutely lovely families came to the Woolly Bear Caterpillar signing by Julia, with jolly caterpillar-y activities and delicious caterpillar shaped biscuits to keep everyone going, as starstruck children chatted to Julia and heard Malcolm singing their favourite songs. On the last Saturday of IBW young science enthusiasts were treated in the morning to a fun fact-filled event by Dr Liam Drew introducing his new book The Brain published by Dorling Kindersley and in the afternoon we had more lovely families arriving with starstruck children when Liz Pichon of Tom Gates fame paid her first visit here for many a year. Her new in paperback book Shoe Wars had given her free rein to wear and bring some amazing fantasy shoes, and Gudrun, her son Otto and amazing young helper Ellie Aungier laid on some great shoe related craft activities including customising kids’ own trainers. An action-packed week was rounded off by the bookshop opening on the Sunday to sell the ticket/brochures for our Steyning in Bloom Garden Tour and finding the day more dramatic than expected with road blocks, sirens and helicopters galore after the illegal Steyning Rave on the Saturday night. Tour visitors peering at their gardens maps found themselves alongside bedraggled ravers searching for their cars – one raver was heard to say – “I left it in a road with trees in it”. Thanks to Jo Gordon and Steyning for Trees their search was probably quite a challenge! Hard to find a road without trees now.
To celebrate the lovely honour of being the Crime Writer Association’s Bookshop of the Month for July 2021, we wanted to celebrate crime writing! So we are delighted that thriller writer & journalist Lucy Atkins will be Zooming in to discuss her fourth novel, the critically-acclaimed thriller ‘Magpie Lane’. Lucy will be joined by wonderful writer William Shaw, with his interviewing hat on.
This will be a kind of ‘Open Book Group’ style event – 2 of our book groups will be reading ‘Magpie Lane’, we are very happy to invite non book-group members to join the event but we strongly recommend that you read the book first, as there may be SPOILERS and we can’t have that with a thriller!
Lucy Atkins is an award winning British author and journalist. She has written four novels, most recently the critically acclaimed MAGPIE LANE. Many of her books are published internationally and THE NIGHT VISITOR (2017) has been optioned for television. Lucy teaches on the Creative Writing Masters degree at the University of Oxford. She was a judge for the 2017 Costa Book Awards , and is a book critic for The Sunday Times. She has lived in Boston, Seattle and Philadelphia, and is now based in Oxford, with her family and her dog.
About Magpie Lane
When the eight-year-old daughter of an Oxford College Master vanishes in the middle of the night, police turn to the Scottish nanny, Dee, for answers.
As Dee looks back over her time in the Master’s Lodging – an eerie and ancient house – a picture of a high achieving but dysfunctional family emerges: Nick, the fiercely intelligent and powerful father; his beautiful Danish wife Mariah, pregnant with their child; and the lost little girl, Felicity, almost mute, seeing ghosts, grieving her dead mother.
But is Dee telling the whole story? Is her growing friendship with the eccentric house historian, Linklater, any cause for concern? And most of all, why was Felicity silent?
Roaming Oxford’s secret passages and hidden graveyards, Magpie Lane explores the true meaning of family – and what it is to be denied one.
